Teaching, texting don't mix at Nazareth Area High School

View full sizeExpress-Times File PhotoNazareth Area High School students aren't supposed to use their cell phones in class.We have all done it. We have all seen others doing it. Sometimes we get away with it, at othertimes we get caught. The pocket buzzes, the ringer sounds, or the purse lights up.

Texting during class is an ambiguous issue for teachers, parents, administrators, and students.The student body at Nazareth Area High School is well aware of Nazareth’s “off and away” policy for cell phones.

During school hours, cell phones are to be off and stored safely in lockers. The handbookstates that “electronic communication devices are not permitted in school,” but goes on to say that “cell phones may be permitted in the classroom for educational purposes only with teacher’s permission.”

Although students asked were perplexed over what these “educational purposes” may be.

Principal Alan Davis justified the handbook material, saying “For example, some phones have the ability to access the Internet, display pictures that relate to class content, or even the use of video clips and songs that might be appropriate for a class activity.

“This is a first step towards perhaps trying to embrace the technology and make use of it in a more productive manner as opposed to trying to simply restrict it.”

Some feel cell phones are necessary, at times. But there is a solution to this proposed by the school. If needed, the school has a phone in the office which is available for students to use.

Unfortunately, this solution does not work for some, like sophomore Erin Adams. “My parents work at jobs that do not allow them to pick up their phones at any given time,” said Adams. “By texting them, I am leaving notice that they can see and respond to at their convenience.”

Students are finding increasingly creative ways to hide their texting during school. They text inthe pockets of sweatshirts or their pants, and girls are using bags or purses as their cover. Some are not trying to hide their phones at all, and just wait until a teacher has turned his or her back to send a message.

"Students are always going to find ways around the rules, or simply ignore them when it comes to texting,” said sophomore Ryan Gunderman.

Though many students have been reprimanded for harmless parent communication, there is also a dark side. Most cell phones are equipped with cameras that can be used in inappropriate situations.

Malicious rumors can also be spread instantaneously across schools with texting. Sophisticated cell phones are equipped with Internet access, which can lead to potential cheating. Even with a simple text message, answers can be shared during a test.

Freshman Zach Esposito said, “When there are cell phones around, they make everyone more vulnerable.”

Teachers and students are often interrupted during class because someone is texting. The problem extends beyond breaking the rules and not paying attention. The teacher has to stop teaching to handle the situation, disrupting the learning environment.

Nazareth teachers, students and administrators need a solution to the cell phone dilemma. Some think students should be able to use cell phones at lunch or between classes in hopes that students would wait until those designated times to text, leaving classes undisturbed.

“Having time that we were able to text during the day would be more convenient because we would not have to hide from teachers or get in trouble,” said freshman Hanna Stevens. “I would also not text during class and wait until I knew it was okay to text,” he added.

If students used cell phones responsibly and only at designated times, they might not go to suchgreat lengths to use them during class. On the other hand, they may discover more “educational purposes” to use their phones.